Russian forces continue to use dangerous chemical substances during combat operations against Ukraine. A total of 224 such incidents were recorded in January 2026 alone.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, throughout January 2026 Russian troops, alongside conventional weapons, regularly used special munitions filled with irritant chemical substances.
In particular, the enemy mainly employed K-51 and RG-VO gas grenades filled with CS and CN chemical agents. These substances are classified as riot control agents and, in a number of countries, are permitted exclusively for law enforcement purposes in peacetime.
A total of 224 cases of the use of dangerous chemical substances were documented in January 2026. These incidents are recorded by radiation, chemical and biological protection units of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with collected samples sent for forensic analysis.
The General Staff emphasized that, under Article 1, paragraph 5 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the use of such substances as a means of warfare is prohibited. Although CS and CN are not lethal chemical warfare agents, their use in combat conditions is illegal and dangerous.
The substances cause severe irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, tearing, coughing, suffocation, disorientation and temporary loss of combat capability, posing a threat to the life and health of Ukrainian service members.
Overall, more than 12,000 cases of the use of dangerous chemical substances have been documented since the beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.